Fraudsters posing as UP minister, aides cheat Pune businessman offering fake currency of 3x face value

The accused said they could give the businessman fake currency notes of face value Rs 30 lakh in return for Rs 10 lakh in original currency.

The police booked five people — two posing as a UP minister and driver and three others as his aides. They launched a manhunt for the accused. (Representational image)

Listen to this article

Fraudsters posing as UP minister, aides cheat Pune businessman offering fake currency of 3x face value

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Fraudsters posing as an Uttar Pradesh minister and his aides cheated a 54-year-old businessman from Pune to the tune of Rs 5 lakh by promising to give him “high-quality” fake currency notes of face value thrice the amount taken from him. The police said the suspect also used a foreign-made firearm to threaten the complainant.

The businessman approached the Wanawadi police station and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered Wednesday night. The police booked five people — two posing as a UP minister and driver and three others as his aides. They launched a manhunt for the accused.

In the last week of March, the accused approached the businessman and gained his confidence through multiple social interactions. “The man posing as a UP minister said that he was in possession of huge quantities of high-quality fake currency, of the face value running into crores of rupees. The accused said they could give him fake currency notes of face value Rs 30 lakh in return for Rs 10 lakh in original currency,” said senior inspector Bhausaheb Pathare, in-charge of Wanawadi police station.

The complainant gave the accused Rs 5.34 lakh in cash and through online transfers. The suspects later started avoiding the complainant and went incommunicado and he realised that he had been cheated. When the complainant demanded money from the accused, the man posing as the minister threatened him with a firearm.

Senior Inspector Pathare added, “We have identified these accused. One is from Uttar Pradesh, and the other four are from Pune, Kolhapur and Latur in Maharashtra, who had formed a gang to cheat people. The Probe suggests that one of the suspects also threatened the complainant with a foreign-made pistol.”